Gogyō no Gokei Jo 五行之五系序

Gyokko-ryū Tōjutsu no maki

Gogyō doesn’t mean, as a scholar, I would never translate it as “five elements”, it means the “five phases”. Secondly, it’s not really martial arts, the meaning of the word is deeper than that. It is written, “Gogyō no Gokei Jo”, the five areas,Me, I, Mi, Shu, soku nari (目、意、身、手、足成り). Translation: the five things is the way you look, the eyes, the intention and the way you develop and cultivate the intention, Mi is the flesh, hands and legs. So, it’s how you practice, how you breath, how you condition your body through the technique.

Then, when you understand that, there is the Sangaku (Three learnings; 三学), the three knowledge of the practice, Ichimonji, Jūmonji, Hichō. And you’ll see what’s really cool is that this is just the beginning.

2 thoughts on “Gogyō no Gokei Jo 五行之五系序”

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Luke Crocker says:

June 4, 2016 at 1:17 pm

From the Heiho Okugi Sho, by Yamamoto kansuke (1521-1561:

“In the arts of warfare there are what are known as five trainings. There are training of the eyes, training of the ears, training of the mind, training of the hands, and training of the feet. With the eyes you see forms, with the ears you hear sounds, with the mind you contrive plans, with the hands and feet you make movements.”

(Thomas Cleary, Secrets of the Japanese Art of Warfare. P.19)

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Luke Crocker says:

June 4, 2016 at 1:43 pm

And in another translation from the same document, the Heiho Okugisho:

“In strategy there are five basic principles of action: meshu (learning with your hands), nishu (learning with your ears), shinshu (learning with your mind), shushu (learning with your hands), sokushu (learning with your legs). Look at the colors with your eyes, listen to the sounds with your ears, devise a plan with your mind, and put the plan to action with your hands and legs.”

(Obata Toshishiro, Heiho Okugisho-The Secret of High Strategy. P. 8)

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